Curtain rod elevator



Aug. 14, 1956 s. HOFFER CURTAIN ROD ELEVATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledMarch 12, 1953 Fly. 1

a m 4 i l 5 Aug. 14, 1956 s. HOFFER CURTAIN ROD ELEVATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed March 12, 1953 Zhwentor /4 $0 22 iephen Hoffr CURTAIN RODELEVATOR Stephen Holfer, Flushing, N. Y.

Application March 12, 1953, Serial No. 341,995

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-265) This invention relates to curtain rod elevatorsand particularly to that type which can be raised and lowered by aperson standing on the floor.

The invention contemplates the provision of a simple and inexpensivetwo-piece support for each end of a curtain rod and the conventionalbracket therefor, which support may be quickly and easily installed on awindow frame by a person standing on the floor and easily manipulated tobring the curtain and its rod within reach without the necessity forclimbing upon a chair or ladder.

The invention further contemplates the provision of combined guide andlocking means integral with the fixed member of the elevator forengaging and adequately maintaining the lower end of the movable memberof the elevator normally in the raised position thereof, with the upperend braced and secured to the upper end of a similar parallelcooperating elevator by the curtain rod itself, whereby the curtaininstallation forms a braced structure without the need for specialguides or braces at the top of the window frame, and the structure isproperly guided in its upward and downward movements, as when it isdesired to mount, remove or replace the curtain.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a one-pieceaccessible bracket capable of locking a onepiece upright curtain-holdingslide in any one of a number of positions while permitting tilting ofthe slide in the lowered position thereof sufiicientiy to clear and topass the window sill.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a two-piece curtainraising device adapted to be inexpensively stamped of suitable sheetmaterial such as sheet metal and quickly assembled and installed, therelatively short member of the device being fixed to the window frame inaccessible position and the other long member being slidable in andnormally supported and locked at its lower end only by the short member,but being adapted to be supported and locked not only in the lowermostposition thereof but also in an intermediate position by the shortmember.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the descriptionwhich follows and from the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevationalview of a typical window, showing my device applied thereto and showingin dash-dot lines, the movable support members and the curtain rod inthe lowermost positions thereof.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a foreshortened perspective view of the twopiece support,showing one form of the means for holding a double curtain rod bracketin place on the slide, and showing the position assumed by the slideduring the vertical movement thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view thereof, taken on theline 4--4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the support taken on the line55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper United tatesPatent 0 ice flange of the support bracket showing in dash-dot lines howthe flange may be bent to adjust the angle of tilting of the slide toinsure that in the lowermost position thereof, the slide clears thewindow sill.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the securing meansfor the curtain rod bracket.

Figs. 8 and 9 are top plan and side elevational views respectively ofanother modified form of the securing ly one eighth of the height of theslide and is of generally U-shaped form, having an upper flange 14 and adissimilar lower substantially horizontal flange 15, the flanges beingintegrally connected by the upright web 16.

The bracket is installed merely by securing the web 16 to a side of thewindow frame at approximately shoulder height as by means of suitablescrews or the like passing through the holes 17 of the web and into theframe (Fig. 2). Such installation may be performed by relativelyunskilled persons standing on the floor and does not require the use ofa ladder or chair. The hole 18 in the upper flange 14 is of about thesame width laterally as that of the hole 19 in the lower flange, theholes 18 and 19 being aligned laterally to guide the slide 13 in itsmovement and to prevent lateral tilting, shifting or rattling of theslide relatively to the bracket. However, the corresponding end edges ofsaid holes 18 and 19 are not aligned transversely, since transversetilting of the slide as shown by the dash-dot lines of Figs. 2 and 4, isdesirable as will be later more fully explained.

As viewed in Figs. 4 and 5, the left hand end edge 20 of the hole 18,which edge will be referred to as the rear edge, serves as a stop tolimit the tilting action of the slide 13 and consequently is notdirectly above the corresponding left hand end or rear edge 21 of thelower hole 19. In other words, the hole 18 is extended horizontallyrearwardly so that its rear edge 20 is not directly or vertically abovethe corresponding edge 21, but is to the left of said edge 21. The righthand end or front edge 22 of the hole 18 is preferably directly abovethe innermost point 25 of the bent tongue 24 which projects from thefront edge 27 of and into the lower hole 19. Said tongue constitutes acombined guiding and locking means to lock the slide in a selectedvertically adjusted position thereof. The tongue is integral with thematerial of the lower flange 15, being formed from the material removedto form the hole 19. A rearwardly convex bend 23 is made at the base ofthe tongue for camming action against the slide in a manner to be laterdescribed. The tongue 24 is inclined upwardly and forwardly from thebend 23 toward the free end 26 thereof so that the horizontallyprojected distance between the tongue end 26 and the right hand or frontedge 27 of the hole 19 is about the same as the thickness of the web 28of the channel slide 13, whereby said web may pass in front of thetongue end 26 and be locked between the tongue and said edge 27 againstforward and rearward movement as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The edge 27 istherefore to A number of spaced apart perforations as 30 are made in theWeb for the passage of the tongue 24 into the interior of the slide whenthe slide is to be locked against all but upward mdvement. The slide islong enough torcach from a point. below theibracket 12 tether top ofthe. window frame. The top. of theslidedsthere. fore. spacedsubstantially away from-the top,' of the; bracket-.- and is also free ofguides wherethe; curtain. r-Qdiis to, be. arranged. Asv has, beenindicated, the. slide may readily be lowered in the, bracket. to.position the. curtain rod andi the curtain carried thereby.- within easyreachof a person standing on thefloor at thewindow.

In the locked position of Fig. 4, that part of the; slide at andbelowthe-tongue- 24tcannetamove: inany direction exceptupwardly; and. theweights-of theslide; curtainirod; and. curtain, are supported at thebase of. thetongue... The upper ends of the pair of slides may,howevenbe tilted rearwardlys as shown Figs. 2.. and 4 until-= thewarmest. edgesI of the. flanges 29 rest against. and are stopped; by theedge; 20 of the upper hole. 1.7. In this; position, the upper. ends of.the slides may, if desired, rest against thev window frame and henceresists rattling, and displace,-

ment. It will benoted that theposit-ion: of therear edge:

20. with respect to the. front edges 22 and 2.7 of the-holes. in thebracket flanges, determines the amount of tilt of.

the; slide and;that the minimum amount-,of-suchztilt occurs.

when the tongue 24 rides. onthe front, face, of the; web 28 as shown bythe dash-dot linesof Fig. 4. To attain the locking and; tilting actiondescribed, each, perforatior-i 30" is of greater height thanv that ofthe tongue; to permit passed in front ofthe tongue andrestson the-basof. the

tongue in front of the bend 23. int-henormal or opera.-

tive positions of the slides, they have beenmoved p:-

wardly through the holes 18- and. 19' of; the brackets to theuppermostpositionsthercQf (Figs. 1. and; 2);. If the slide is pushedrearwa-rdly while itis being. raised, thebend 23- of the tongue does notenter any of thenperforations 30-. Instead, the, front surface of theweb- 2.8. is. guided by the front edge 22 of the upper hole 18. aswellas by the rear surface of the bend. 23 as. shown bythe-- dash-dot linesof Fig, 4.. guided by the rear edge 2:1 of. the lower hole 19. If no.-rearward pressure is applied to. the. slide during the upward movementthereof and. if there is any tendency for the tongue to enter aperforation 30, then the bendt 235 of the tongue strikes the lower edgeof the perforation and acts as a cam to move the slide rearwardly andtO-Wlzllh. draw the tongue out of the perforation into'which the tonguemay have entered partly or completely.

The slide is preferably tilted into the. position shown in Fig. 4 whencompletely raised andmay. also betilted. enough to clear the window sill31 of the window 1']: (Fig. 2) when it is disengaged from the. tongueand lowered, tilting being permitted because of thCy disalignment of therespective edges 20 and 21 of the'holesin the bracket. Suchdisengagementis readily: obtained by raising the slide enough to bringthe tongue 21.4 directly behind the perforation 30, then moving, theslide rear.- wardly so that the tongue passes out through theperforation, after whichthe slide may again be moved-vertically.

As shown by the dash-dot lines of'Fig. 6, by'bendingthe upper'flange- 14of the bracket 12' ata more obtuse angleto the web 16, the edge 20-ofthe hole 18 is moved rearwardly and the angle of possible tilt of theslide ac* cordingly increased; whereby the angle of tilt may be adjustedif desired.

For ease in manipulating the slide when it is desired to mount, removeor replace curtains, an inexpensive handle 32 is formed at the lower endof the slide by continuing the flanges 29'thereof'past the lowermost endIt may also, if, desired, be

edge 33 of the web 28 and bending the flanges to extend outwardly (Fig.3). In order that a curtain rod 10 of any of the usual types, nowlargely conventional, may be secured to the upper ends of the pair ofslides 13, each slide may be provided with a slot 34 in each of theflanges 29 thereof, the slots of one flange being aligned with the slotof the other flange to. receive the back or web 35 of a conventionalcurtain rod bracket having outstanding flanges 37 eachadapted to engagea curtain. rod. A pair of suitable screws as 38 threaded into the web 28press the back 35 against the rear walls of the slots 34 thereby tosecure the brackets iniplace-astshown in; Fig, 3. To mount a bracket 40having a single flange 41 designed to support a single -curtain-rod, theback 42 of the bracket may be screwed directly to the front face of theweb 28 of the slide as shown in Fig. 7. In either case, the curtain roditself ties the upper ends of the slides together against relativemovement and serves as, the sole brace therefor and forms a reinforced.structure therewith movable; up

passes. through a, slot as. 4.8 in the web 28... This, permits.

variation of the vertical distance, between bolts. to accommodate,various. brackets having different. distances be: tween the screw holes.thereof, as for examp1e,, brackets for curtain rods designed to. hold.draw-pull curtainsor the, like.

If the. respectiveslides of a pair of such slides behoofar apart forconvenient. handling, as. inv the case of unusually wide. windows, theuser may droponeslide. the distance between perforations by pushing theslide. rear.- wardly enough to disengage it from, the tongue 2,4 aspreviously described after first raising the slide slightly; after theslide so, dropped is locked in its new position, the other, slide issimilarly disengaged, dropped. av convenient. distance. and locked, theoperation being: repeated. until both slides are in the lowermostpositions thereof and. the-curtain and its rod are. easily accessible.If the. curtain is heavy, it may be raised intoplace inv a similarmanner, one or moreperforations at a time.

It will now be seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensivetwo-piece device for raising and. lowering.

curtains; that each piece is adapted to be stamped. with. a minimum oflabor from sheet metal or the. like for quantity production; that theslide need be. supported. only ends thereof engage the window frame ifdesired; that.

the slides arev adapted to carry conventional curtain-rod brackets ofany of the usual types; that the curtain, rod serves to brace the upperends of the slidesag-ainst undesirable displacement or movement and.that I have provided a device well designed to meet the requirements ofcommercial use. and sale.

While certain specific embodiments of the. invention have herein beenshown and described, various. obvious changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the.appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A two-piece curtain rod elevator comprising: a normally raisedupright slide having vertically spaced apart perforations therein, andrelatively fixed combined guide and locking means normally maintainingthe slide inthe uppermost position thereof comprising a slide-engagingbracket having a pair of vertically spaced holes therein for the passagetherethrough of theslide and an integral fixed rigid upwardly extendingtongue at the front edge-of oneof the holes adapted toenter a selectedperforation of the slide, the slide being movable downwardly in theholes. of the bracket until the'tongue entersone ofthe perforations, andone of the holes being elongated to a length greater than the width ofthe slide measured between the front and rear edges of the slide.

2. The combination of claim 1, the slide being slidable in said holesand being tiltable out of the vertical in said holes to clear a windowsill in the lowermost position of the slide, said slide being locked atits lower portion in said position between the tongue and said frontedge of the tongued hole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HefiinApr. 25, 1922 Brown Feb. 10, 1925 Fitzgerald May 17, 1932 Jacque Apr.15, 1947 Bell Nov. 30, 1948 Burham Apr. 8, 1952 Nobereit Nov. 17, 1953

